The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is a hub for research, training and innovation that generates
insights and tools that decision-makers can use to improve policies, programs, and people’s lives. The
Environmental Markets Lab (emLab) based at the University of California, Santa Barbara has collaborated
closely with CEGA to use and further develop a tool called MOSAIKS (Multi-Task Observation Using SAtellites
and Kitchen Sinks). This tool transforms raw satellite imagery into concise information, predicting a wide range of
different outcomes within minutes on a standard laptop. It can analyze numerous variables on a global scale,
ranging from soil and water conditions to housing, health, and poverty. Ultimately, MOSAIKS improves the
accessibility of satellite data, addressing global challenges and aiding scientists and policymakers in
understanding big-picture environmental changes.
It is essential that data science training, tools, and infrastructure like MOSAIKS be made available to low- and
middle-income countries (LMICs), where their potential impact could be most profound. And yet, to date, most
applications of imagery for social and environmental monitoring have been developed by research groups and/or
the private sector in high-income countries. In this initiative, emLab and CEGA will partner with the Ministry of
Digital Economy and Transformation (the Ministry) in Togo (a LMIC) to develop a data science “embedded lab”
(Data Lab) that supports the accelerated use of data science tools and approaches for developing, deploying,
and evaluating the effectiveness of novel digital public services. With local ownership in mind, the Data Lab will
facilitate and support the adoption of MOSAIKS by the Togolese government. The Ministry has already identified
several priority use cases for MOSAIKS which have the potential to address real world policy challenges and
drive meaningful and sustainable social impact in Togo.